MilesSmiles...
I'm glad I thought to save a copy of the
LatinPass pages last week ...Just in case :-)

Sorry for the multiple posts. But obviously there was a problem with Flyer Talk Yesterday.

BJJ: "Also, Hotel Quito is great deal. Special is $35 for double including breakfast and shuttle for airport. Fantastic hotel, scenic location, english speaking, internet, pool, great food......"

I'd like to stay at the Hotel Quito, but want to be sure I'm getting the right place. I am finding:
Quito Hotel
AVE GONZALEZ SUAREZ 2500
Quito Ecuador
Telephone: 593 2 544600

Can anyone confirm this or post the correct info? Much appreciated.

duplicate. server problems continue.

[This message has been edited by golden girl (edited 03-30-2000).]

The information you have is correct for Hotel Quito they also have email [email protected]

I have their printed newsletter Vol. 4 No. 6 and the front page is "The Bonus You Have Been Waiting For!" It states the program and in bold FROM JANUARY 1 - JULY 1,2000.

No small print, no astericks, no "or until we say otherwise..."

I have their printed newsletter Vol. 4 No. 6 and the front page is "The Bonus You Have Been Waiting For!" It states the program and in bold FROM JANUARY 1 - JULY 1,2000.

No small print, no astericks, no "or until we say otherwise..."

On a practical note: what's the malaria situation on the Million Mile Trail? Worth taking 8 weeks of antimalarials?

Student: Thanks, I've emailed Hotel Quito.

Malaria should not be a problem as long as you do not leave population centers or go off into the jungle.

BJJ here. Received my new password, so now can post. Thanks for posting for me Student. I felt like the ACES thing concerning 1 boarding pass instead of 2 might be important to someone. It sure was for us. We have recovered, but lost our extra day at Macchu Picchu in Peru. Ended up in Quito instead, and really enjoyed it. At Hotel Quito, ask for a room with a view of the mountains. The pool is heated, and really nice. Breakfast buffet is delicious, with your choice of 4 fresh squeezed juices. Their internet access is kinda quirky. It would be worth the money even at full rate of $70. Shuttle only brought us TO the hotel, not BACK. Cab fare was only a couple bucks though. Quito is a beautiful place.
It is cold in Cuzco. It is fairly cold in Quito. Very high altitude. Had a bit of altitude sickness. Managua, Caracas, and Lima are pretty ugly. Garbage everywhere. Doesn`t feel safe. We did some pretty budget hotels, and that made things worse, I guess. If you can spring for the fancy hotels, you`d be better off.
Watch your bags carefully in Bogota and everywhere. I had a bag stolen from beside my feet as I changed money. Luckily I didn`t lose my passport and credit cards and money. I did lose tickets and three precious boarding passes. Recovery has been difficult.
Almost nobody speaks english in Bogota. There is a counter near (almost directly across from) the ACES desk for tax exemption. You don`t have to pay departure tax if you don`t stay overnight. Nobody will tell you this. We weren`t able to stay in the international area and connect from Avianca to Acess, but dodged the tax this way.
Now in Pamama City at the brand new Holiday Inn. Very much like USA. Its a long way from the airport - maybe 30 minutes. We got a Thrifty manual transmission compact something-or-other for $32 with a Gold Visa or an American Express. Downhill from here: back to Guatemala and then home. Later, BJJ

BJJ here. Received my new password, so now can post. Thanks for posting for me Student. I felt like the ACES thing concerning 1 boarding pass instead of 2 might be important to someone. It sure was for us. We have recovered, but lost our extra day at Macchu Picchu in Peru. Ended up in Quito instead, and really enjoyed it. At Hotel Quito, ask for a room with a view of the mountains. The pool is heated, and really nice. Breakfast buffet is delicious, with your choice of 4 fresh squeezed juices. Their internet access is kinda quirky. It would be worth the money even at full rate of $70. Shuttle only brought us TO the hotel, not BACK. Cab fare was only a couple bucks though. Quito is a beautiful place.
It is cold in Cuzco. It is fairly cold in Quito. Very high altitude. Had a bit of altitude sickness. Managua, Caracas, and Lima are pretty ugly. Garbage everywhere. Doesn`t feel safe. We did some pretty budget hotels, and that made things worse, I guess. If you can spring for the fancy hotels, you`d be better off.
Watch your bags carefully in Bogota and everywhere. I had a bag stolen from beside my feet as I changed money. Luckily I didn`t lose my passport and credit cards and money. I did lose tickets and three precious boarding passes. Recovery has been difficult.
Almost nobody speaks english in Bogota. There is a counter near (almost directly across from) the ACES desk for tax exemption. You don`t have to pay departure tax if you don`t stay overnight. Nobody will tell you this. We weren`t able to stay in the international area and connect from Avianca to Acess, but dodged the tax this way.
Now in Pamama City at the brand new Holiday Inn. Very much like USA. Its a long way from the airport - maybe 30 minutes. We got a Thrifty manual transmission compact something-or-other for $32 with a Gold Visa or an American Express. Downhill from here: back to Guatemala and then home. Later, BJJ

BJJ here. Received my new password, so now can post. Thanks for posting for me Student. I felt like the ACES thing concerning 1 boarding pass instead of 2 might be important to someone. It sure was for us. We have recovered, but lost our extra day at Macchu Picchu in Peru. Ended up in Quito instead, and really enjoyed it. At Hotel Quito, ask for a room with a view of the mountains. The pool is heated, and really nice. Breakfast buffet is delicious, with your choice of 4 fresh squeezed juices. Their internet access is kinda quirky. It would be worth the money even at full rate of $70. Shuttle only brought us TO the hotel, not BACK. Cab fare was only a couple bucks though. Quito is a beautiful place.
It is cold in Cuzco. It is fairly cold in Quito. Very high altitude. Had a bit of altitude sickness. Managua, Caracas, and Lima are pretty ugly. Garbage everywhere. Doesn`t feel safe. We did some pretty budget hotels, and that made things worse, I guess. If you can spring for the fancy hotels, you`d be better off.
Watch your bags carefully in Bogota and everywhere. I had a bag stolen from beside my feet as I changed money. Luckily I didn`t lose my passport and credit cards and money. I did lose tickets and three precious boarding passes. Recovery has been difficult.
Almost nobody speaks english in Bogota. There is a counter near (almost directly across from) the ACES desk for tax exemption. You don`t have to pay departure tax if you don`t stay overnight. Nobody will tell you this. We weren`t able to stay in the international area and connect from Avianca to Acess, but dodged the tax this way.
Now in Pamama City at the brand new Holiday Inn. Very much like USA. Its a long way from the airport - maybe 30 minutes. We got a Thrifty manual transmission compact something-or-other for $32 with a Gold Visa or an American Express. Downhill from here: back to Guatemala and then home. Later, BJJ

Well, I am back from completing my 500K run. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif I am back in Northern CA with 32 continuous waking hours and counting, so excuse typos.

I did National Airlines from Vegas to Miami for the partner segments (R/T).

3/28
MIA-SAL TACA 311 4:05p-5:51p
SAL-GUA AVIATECA 960 6:49p-7:39p
Stayed in Radisson Guatemala City.

3/29
GUA-SJO COPA 400 6:00a-7:25a
SJO-BOG LACSA 691 10:40a-1:45p
BOG-CCS AVIANCA 78 9:15p-12:05a (+1)
Stayed in Hilton Caracas.

3/30
CCS-MIA AEROPOSTAL 502 4:00p-6:10p

THOUGHTS:
I didn't miss any connections -- I was only worried about the 50 min connect time in SAL for my flight to GUA, but my flight was early, and the SAL airport is cleanly laid out and pretty small.

SAL: Only in the airport -- austere, clean and small. Quick connections.

GUA http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif: I highly recommend the Radisson Guatemala City http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif. I got an $85 rate, accrued 500 LP miles, and had a very nice suite, with kitchen, "living room", two doubles. Very new hotel, friendly staff. I was told that use of the business center (and Internet) was $10/hour, so I skipped it (plus I had to get up at 3am). Good food in the hotel. I am looking forward to coming back to Guatemala.

SJO http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif: Nice decent-sized US-style terminal. As MG said, this is the place to load up on coffee beans. Lots of American tourists in aloha shirts. I'll come back here.

BOG http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif: I had a 7 hour layover here. This is the most "secure" airport I have ever been in, at least if "security" is measured in terms of number of armed military-security types and # of checkpoints. Get your tax exemption across from the Iberia counter, as PG said. Everyone I talked to was very friendly (as with the whole trip). Someone on this board mentioned that they had a bag stolen here ... Must have been at the cambio, which is just outside the terminal. Man, advice for travel anywhere in the world -- even if the bags are at your feet, always have them leaning up against your legs so you'll feel if they're grabbed. Anyways, the international gate terminal is locked down, felt extremely secure. I enjoyed a few beers and wrote a bunch of postcards in the secure international terminal shopping area (expensive postage). .. I don't think I will be heading back to Colombia anytime soon because of terribly unsafe security situation.. Too bad. Perhaps things will improve in a few years.

CCS http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif: Took an expensive ($34) taxi at 1am into the city to the Caracas Hilton http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif. The taxi service from the airport is insanely expensive. I was unimpressed by the Caracas Hilton -- excellent location I guess, but the service was terrible and the place felt old (in the bad way). The view was awesome from my 19th floor room, steeply-rising cloud-shrouded green mountains with tall glass skyscrapers in the foreground. Just don't look down at street level -- trash everywhere, squatters.. The contrast between haves/have nots in Caracas is the worst I have seen in a while. I shared a cab to the airport -- this would be a good way to keep your cost down. $21 departure tax, the airport seemed to unairconditioned, and the plane was late, with no reason given. Caracas will not be my first destination on my next trip...

SUMMARY:
Not bad at all. This was a fun trip -- as fun as running from plane to plane can be! I didn't miss any connections. Grupo TACA: I was impressed by the excellent service and condition of the planes.. Copa: So this is where old planes go to die! Aeropostal: Fine.

Just about everyone I spoke to (in my passable Spanish) was very friendly and helpful. If you know any Spanish at all, make the attempt at communicating in that language -- I truly believe that most people are gratified when you attempt to speak their language -- you are the guest. I was sorry that this was just a mileage run and not a sightseeing trip. I'll be spending my miles (and extra $$$) in Central and South America -- as Latinpass intended -- beginning next summer.

Good luck to everybody still planning their runs.. I looked for likely LP candidates (do we fit a profile? I guess not..), but didn't see any. Since I am presently in a state of severe sleep deprivation, I'll check back in tonight and post anything else that pops up that might be of use to you.

Cheers,
NSW

NSW,

Thank you for the post. Your routing and hotels are almost identical to ours starting next Sunday, so your report is very valuable to us.

The only difference from your trip and ours is that we are catching an earlier BOG-CCS flight and staying at the Hotel Caracas Cumberland in Caracas (recommended by a guide book; $100 for a suite).

Why the 3AM get-up in GUA? Any chance of getting a boarding pass the night before?

Evan
Bend, Oregon

Server Problems - Duplicate Post removed

[This message has been edited by ejulber (edited 03-31-2000).]